President Lenin Moreno welcomes Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and the Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC), to the Government Palace according to the General Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency.

Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Global Universal Design Commission, visited Ecuador to deliver the certification to the Metropolitan Convention Center of Quito as the first building in Ecuador that meets the universal design standards for buildings for public use.

Later, he held a meeting with President Lenin Moreno, with whom he discussed issues related to accessibility to guarantee the rights of people with disabilities.

"We agree that ensuring full accessibility is essential to have just and democratic societies," said President Moreno.

"Peter Blanck is here to give us the news that the Metropolitan Center has had special recognition at the level of America and the world, which fills us with pride as Ecuadorians and as people with disabilities," said the president.

In turn, Blanck thanked the Ecuadorian hospitality. "It is a great honor to be here, since I have known President Lenin Moreno for many years, he is a world leader in issues related to people with disabilities, I appreciate his leadership," said the head of the Global Universal Design Commission. (I)

Ecuador President Lenin Moreno

Presidential Palace of Ecuador

Blanck is also Chairman of BBI Burton Blatt Institute and directs Raising the Floor (RtF). In turn, he is an honorary professor at the Center for Disability, Law and Politics, at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

The academic was a member of the Presidential Committee for the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, ex-trustee of YAI / National Institute for Persons with Disabilities. He is also the author of books on disability laws and policies.

The GUDC is a nonprofit corporation, established to develop Universal Design (DU) standards for buildings, products and services.

The institution is currently developing voluntary DU consensus standards for commercial buildings. The purpose is to expand access to buildings for all people, regardless of their physical stature and different capacities. EFE (I)

BBI reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities, with offices in Syracuse, NY, New York City, Washington, D.C., Lexington, KY, and Atlanta, GA. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. For more information about BBI, visit: http://bbi.syr.edu.

About the Global Universal Design Commission

GUDC is a not-for-profit corporation established to develop Universal Design (UD) standards for buildings, products and services. GUDC is developing UD voluntary consensus standards for commercial and residential buildings, which will expand access to buildings for all people, regardless of physical stature and varying abilities. The approved UD standards will help guide corporations and government entities in the creation of barrier-free facilities, providing diverse users with access to commerce, public services, entertainment, housing, and employment opportunities. For more information about the GUDC, visit: http://www.globaluniversaldesign.org/.